


perfect timing

by xuxikr



Series: One Month, One Fic: 2019 [7]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, But mostly fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Until it does, the universe doesnt want them to meet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 18:19:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xuxikr/pseuds/xuxikr
Summary: The universe fights for Jaemin’s and Donghyuck’s souls to meet, but someone is always a little too late or a little too early. This is how they meet.





	perfect timing

**Author's Note:**

> based on my nahyuck thread on twt. unbeta-ed as per usual but i'll come around to it!

“I have this friend.”

Jaemin looks up from his Calculus worksheets as Renjun begins to speak. “And?” Renjun’s dressed in his pyjamas, a tub of ice cream held in his arms. He doesn’t even realize Renjun has walked into his room.

“I think you should meet him.” Renjun bites into his ice cream and Jaemin grimaces. _Who eats ice cream like that_?

“And… why should I meet him?” Jaemin’s not interested, but he humours Renjun.

“Just think you should.” Renjun says dismissively. “What do you say?”

Jaemin shakes his head and goes back to his Calculus problems. He doesn’t need to _meet_ anyone, the universe will surely come through any moment now and let him meet his soulmate. He doesn’t need to give up. “If you’re saying this because you think I won’t meet my soulmate, then no—”

Renjun shrugs. “Just trying to help you out, Jaem.”

“I don’t need help.” He says. “Give me some of that ice cream?”

Renjun thinks about it for a moment and his lips tug up in a half smile as he begins to walk backwards out of Jaemin's room. “Well, you can help yourself to your _own_ ice cream.”

His roommate exits out of his room silently and Jaemin smiles to himself. He appreciates Renjun’s efforts, but Jaemin thinks he doesn’t need to go against the own force of the universe for its orbits to finally shift so he can finally meet his soulmate. He’s only 19, he’s got all the time in the world.

Jaemin goes back to his Calculus problems and looks at the swirling tattoo that begins from his wrist and ends on his forearm. The tattoo is supposed to match his soulmate’s, like a key to a lock—a perfect match that is solely theirs. His soul thrums with anticipation.

“My friend Jaemin is coming over for some video games.” Jeno tells him as he slots the groceries into the fridge. Donghyuck closes its door and looks at Jeno over his shoulder.

“Tonight?” He asks as he grabs the apron from its hook, rolling the sleeves of his sweater up slightly. Jeno moves to one of the counters and sits on top of it.

Donghyuck likes his roommate, because Jeno is polite and doesn’t cross his boundaries and always asks for permission before bringing anyone over. He likes to think that Jeno has become his friend, too.

“Yeah, tonight. Is that alright?” Jeno’s meek when he asks and Donghyuck can’t help but smile.

“You don’t have to be so nervous around me all the time, Jeno.” Donghyuck teases and Jeno flushes red. “This is your place too, you don’t have to ask me for permission all the time like I’m your mom—unless you want be to be your mom… do you want me to be your mom, Jeno?”

“No!” Jeno laughs. “No. I just thought it’d be polite to give you a heads up.” Jeno’s eyes look over at the groceries Donghyuck still has to put into the fridge. “You cooking dinner tonight?”

Donghyuck nods and walks back over to the bag. “Yep, I’ll even cook for you and your friend if you ask nicely.”

Donghyuck hears, rather than sees Jeno smile. “Please?”

“What’s the magic word?”

“Uhm. _Pretty_ please?”

“Sure.”

“Where’s your friend?” Donghyuck asks when he exits out of the kitchen, the kimchi pancakes for dinner already done. It’s 7PM now, when Jaemin’s supposed to come over but Jeno is all alone in the living room with the console in his hands.

Jeno pushes his glasses up to his nose and frowns. “He got food poisoning.”

“Is he okay?”

Jeno pauses the game and stands up with a smile. “Yep, he sent me a selfie of him after puking his guts out. I think he should be fine.”

Donghyuck scratches at his wrist absent-mindedly. “Oh, okay. The kimchi pancakes are done so if you want to eat…”

The food poisoning got Jaemin bad, so he’s been bed-ridden for a week and Renjun has thrown out all the expired food in their fridge. He should really be more careful next time when looking for snacks if he doesn’t want to die an early death.

But life goes on, and Jaemin has an exam at 9AM. It’s currently 8:35AM, he really has to run.

The bus finally arrives and with luck on his side, Jaemin finds a seat next to the window, the other seat next to him empty. He plugs his earphones in and gazes out of the window, reviewing the steps on how to solve the Calculus equations he has been preparing for.

The bus comes to a stop at the next station and more people file in. Even with the influx of new people, the seat next to him remains empty.

Jaemin’s wrist has a dull itch, so he rubs at it with his thumb as he watches the bus door close. The wheels begin to roll just as he sees someone run out from the building and run towards the bus but is a little too late.

_Unfortunate_. Jaemin thinks. That does happen, sometimes.

An old lady occupies the seat next to him and Jaemin gives her a smile. The itch on his wrist disappears.

Donghyuck hasn’t been roommates with Jeno for that long, so he supposes it’s not a big deal that he doesn’t know a lot of things about Jeno.

What he doesn’t understand is, how he never learned that Renjun, his beloved friend from one of their many university organizations, is Jeno’s soulmate.

He finds it out through an unfortunate situation, through walking in on Jeno perched on Renjun’s lap as they make out like rabid teenagers on the living room couch. It’s safe to say that it’s been a mix of emotions since learning this.

But still, Donghyuck makes dinner for the lovely couple as he interrogates them over some bibimbap and kimchi about their history.

“So you guys met in high school?” Donghyuck clarifies as he shoves a mouthful of rice into his mouth. “That’s so cool. I’ve never seen Jeno’s soulmate tattoo. How did you guys know?”

Jeno’s ears flush their signature red again. “Ours are located at—”

Renjun shoves him with his elbow, causing him to double over in pain. “Shut up, Jeno.”

Donghyuck grins through his spoon. “Am I missing something here?” He turns to Renjun with that wicked smile, waving the utensil around. “Is it somewhere spicy, it’s in somewhere spicy isn’t it?”

Jeno busies himself with the bibimbap as Renjun clears his throat. “It’s not a matter of seeing it—” he begins, “but that does help… yours is on your forearm isn’t it?”

Donghyuck tugs his sleeve down, hiding the bit of ink that peeks out. “It’s big and conspicuous and I hate it… but this isn’t about me, tell me about your story.”

“It’s feeling, rather than seeing. The first time I met Jeno, there’s just something in me that just knew—I gravitated toward him.”

“Gravitated. Big word.”

“Yeah, kinda corny but that’s how I felt. Other than my tattoo itching or feeling hot every time he’s near, it’s the feeling here,” Renjun gestures to his heart, “that confirmed it.”

Donghyuck shoves another spoonful of rice into his mouth with a groan. “God, you guys are gross.”

Renjun kicks Donghyuck beneath the table and Jeno tries to placate them by changing the topic. “Since all of us are friends now, Jaemin’s the only puzzle piece missing.”

Donghyuck pauses and raises a brow at the familiar name. “Jaemin? Your friend? You’re also friends with him, Renjun?”

The guy in question nods after drinking his water. “Yep,” he pops the syllable, “ _roommate_ , to be exact. We should try and study together for finals!”

Donghyuck ignores the itch on his wrist. “Sure, bring him over next time then.”

“I don’t know, maybe you should go on Tinder.”

Renjun’s voice rings in Jaemin’s ears even if it has been hours since he said that to him. He knows that Renjun is kidding and is most likely just tired of him whining and whining about not meeting his soulmate—but the idea never leaves his mind.

There’s so much love inside of him that it bursts at the seams. There’s so much love to give and yet no one to give it to. He loves his friends and his family, but Jaemin believes that he’s made to love his soulmate too.

But it gets tiring, he figures, and doubt settles in his chest easily. It’s been nineteen years and yet there hasn’t been a single hint, a single signal, a sign that his soulmate is well and alive.

That’s how he ends up here, on their living room couch swiping left on his phone.

It’s not glamorous and it’s even humiliating to set up his own Tinder profile. But he selects his most recent photos from his camera roll and he’s good to go.

Every profile that presents itself to Jaemin has been underwhelming, no one really giving him any sort of excitement just by looking at their faces.

As he’s about to close the app on his one last swipe, the profile that shows up is named Donghyuck, 19 years old, a few hundred meters away from him. Jaemin wonders if he’s heard that name before, but it _is_ a pretty common name.

It’s the face, Jaemin thinks. He doesn’t want to be so superficial, but he feels a pull—an attraction or whatever anyone wants to call it towards the pictures. There are pictures of him smiling at a surprise birthday party, there’s a photo of him with a puppy, there’s even a photo of him getting drunk and Jaemin adores it.

But.

“I’m home!” Renjun’s voice comes booming through the apartment, slamming the door open as he announces his return. Jaemin panics, swipes left in instinct and tucks his phone in the crevice of the couch.

“What are you doing?” Renjun asks suspiciously as he notices Jaemin’s tension. Jaemin knows that Renjun will never let him live it down if he learns that he actually went for his sarcastic idea.

Jaemin shakes his head with a tight-lipped smile. “Nothing!”

Renjun raises a brow at him but dismisses the topic anyway.

Jaemin tries to selectively forget the incident and deletes that app from his phone when Renjun’s out of sight again.

“Is Jaemin even coming?” Jeno asks when Donghyuck exits out of the kitchen with refreshments. They’ve been studying for about an hour now, and Donghyuck has to leave in another hour to fetch his older brother, Taeyong, from the airport. He just has to run there, drop him over his own place, and run back to the study group. No big deal.

Renjun looks up from his Anatomy text book and shrugs as he highlights another line. “He said he’ll be a little late. He’s always a little late.”

“A little late is one hour?” Donghyuck interjects as he places the tray of juice down on the coffee table where they’re gathered. “That’s a big late, I must say.”

He doesn’t know who Jaemin is, but this truly isn’t giving him a good impression of the stranger.

Jeno reaches over the table and grabs a glass. “I mean. That’s Jaemin for you.”

Donghyuck leaves it be. It’s not a loss and he isn’t directly affected by it anyway. If Jaemin is that elusive like a rare Pokémon, he’ll give it to him.

Just as he’s getting back to his World Literature notes, his phone pings with a notification from Taeyong that has him jumping up to his feet. “Oh shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Renjun asks.

“My brother said he got on an earlier flight so now he’s at the airport waiting for me.” Donghyuck types a quick reply to Taeyong, slots his keys into his pocket as he makes his way out. “I’ll be back quickly.”

Jeno and Renjun wave him goodbye and Donghyuck runs to the elevator. It seems to be his lucky day as it opens just as he presses the button, completely empty for him to use.

As Donghyuck’s elevator closes, the other one opens.

Donghyuck’s tattoo feels warm.

Renjun’s phone buzzes with a text from Donghyuck. “Oh.”

“What is it?” Jaemin asks.

“Donghyuck can’t make it back tonight. His brother took him out for dinner and they’re drinking. He says to leave his stuff be.”

Jeno nods. “Just put his stuff on the couch, Jaem. He’ll find them tomorrow.”

Jaemin obeys, carefully putting Donghyuck’s stuff on the couch. “Drinking on a school night? Not a very good habit.”

“Don’t judge him. His brother came home after a year, of course he’ll spend time with him.” Jeno defends.

Jaemin laughs at Jeno’s sudden defensive and tosses his eraser at him. It hits Jeno’s nose. “I was just kidding! I’d do the same thing too for family.”

Renjun shushes them both. “Go back to studying.”

Amidst their studying for finals, Renjun and Donghyuck are also busy with the preparation for the year-end party the university holds every year. It’s been a tradition for years now, and they’re part of the student organization that’s responsible for the planning.

It’s stressful, but they look at it positively and say it’s their wanted stress.

The party’s always been a masquerade, but they have the liberty to change the theme that comes with it every year. Last year, Donghyuck has suggested they have a summer-themed party in the middle of winter. It wasn’t his best.

This year, they’re doing a Winter Wonderland to make up for the mess that is last year’s party. It’s a pretty event, with fake snowflakes and grand lights.

The team knows they have to make it special because—see, there’s a legend that says that whoever you end up with when the clock strikes midnight, is the one person that will be with you forever. Donghyuck thinks it’s an old gimmick to get people to come to the party during its earlier times, but it still sells so they don’t complain.

But some people have attested to this legend, there’s even a Facebook group for people who have met their soulmates through the party. There’s no need to say that there’s a _slight_ pressure on the team to give the best event to the student body.

Renjun interrupts Donghyuck’s thinking as bumps his entire body against his side. “What’s got you thinking so _hard_? I can see your veins pop.”

Donghyuck shakes his head as he stares at the huge cardboard letter W. The team plans to put up two huge W letters to stand for Winter Wonderland and decorate it with lights at the entrance so people can take their photos with it. “I’m thinking.”

Renjun puts his hands on his hips and follows Donghyuck’s line of sight—the cardboards. “I see that.”

“I’m thinking if I should paint these red or blue? What about white?”

Renjun hums. “I think white would be good, our lights are yellowish anyway, it’d look like it’s gold. You can add glitter too if you’re in for the extra challenge.”

“Oh, Renjun! I love you!” Donghyuck exclaims dramatically and pulls Renjun in to press a kiss to his cheek. Renjun dutifully pushes him away.

“Whatever, I’ll leave you with your paint.”

In no time at all, Donghyuck has his white paint and brush to load the cardboard up with white. He rolls the sleeves of his sweater up, ties an apron around his waist and gets to work.

He’s too focused on his work that he doesn’t even notice that Renjun has returned. He only comes to it when Renjun speaks.

“Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck looks up from his work and raises a brow at his friend. “What?”

It takes him a second before his notices where Renjun’s vision is directed. His arm.

“Is that your soulmate tattoo?” Renjun questions with an intense look in his eyes Donghyuck can’t quite place.

He has no choice but to say yes anyway, he doesn’t have to lie and he can’t pull his sleeves back if he wants to stay as clean as possible. “Well,” he starts, “it is. I know it’s so big, don’t go telling anyone.”

Renjun looks shaken, but he clears his throat and the odd expression is gone as fast as it came. Donghyuck tilts his head to the side.

“I-I won’t. I’ll get back to work, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck watches as Renjun turns around and types away on his phone. He shrugs it off as just Renjun being weird and gets back to work.

In the next week, Renjun is intense.

More intense that he normally is. Because Taeyong has just got back from Canada, he wants to spend time with him while he’s in the city but Renjun seems to always want him present. He doesn’t mind that he’s trying to get him acquainted with his elusive roommate Jaemin, but he wants to hang with his older brother and not wait around for this stranger who always seems to be late.

“Please,” Renjun practically begs him when they come out of the student organization room, “just one dinner with me, Jeno and Jaemin and I promise I’ll get off your back.”

Donghyuck thinks this over. “Fine. I don’t get why you want us to be a quartet so bad.”

Renjun presses his lips together and takes a deep inhale. “Just trust me, you’ll thank me after this.” He exhales.

Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Is this your nice way of saying that I don’t have enough friends? I’ll have you know that I’m friends with the entire university—”

Renjun leaves him behind and starts brisk walking.

Donghyuck loves it when Renjun cooks. Other than the fact that it’s always Chinese food and he doesn’t mind a change of palate, Donghyuck is kind of tired being the only one knowing how to cook at his place with Jeno.

If there’s a change in palate, there’s one thing unchanged since the last time. Jaemin is late.

Now, he truly thinks that this Jaemin doesn’t like him even if there’s no way for that to happen since they haven’t met, but he always has these excuses whenever they’re set to meet. But if Jaemin doesn’t like him, then he doesn’t like Jaemin too.

As Renjun sets out the hot pot, Donghyuck asks a jarring question. “Is Jaemin even coming?”

Renjun and Jeno look at each other and Donghyuck hates how they’re doing the soulmate _thing—_ communicating with their eyes.

Jeno clears his throat and tucks his chair in. “I’m sure he’ll be here, this is where he lives anyway.”

Renjun backs him up. “Yeah, let’s just wait for him a little before starting, okay?”

Donghyuck fights the urge to roll his eyes and talk bad about Renjun’s roommate. Benefit of the doubt, he reminds himself. Don’t assume the worst of people.

They wait for twenty more minutes, with Donghyuck initiating that they play Baskin Robbins and whoever loses has to drink a shot of ketchup. As Jeno’s about to count the last number and face his saucy end, his phone vibrates with a notification from Jaemin.

“Wow. So not fair.” Donghyuck crosses his arms and watches as Jeno reads the text message from Jaemin.

Donghyuck watches as the smile from Jeno’s face falls, and his eyes go wide. Jeno hasn’t even said anything, but Donghyuck can already feel his stomach dropping.

Renjun squeezes his arm as Jeno pales. “Jeno, are you okay?”

Jeno shakes his head and swallows. It takes all his will before he speaks. “It’s Jaemin… he said he can’t come today because—”

Donghyuck huffs. There he goes again with his excuses.

“Because what, Jeno?” Renjun prods.

“Because his… his grandmother, you know, the one that always packs us food whenever she visits here?”

“Yeah, go on Jeno. You’re making me so anxious.”

“She had a heart attack three hours ago. They rushed her to the hospital but she didn’t make it. Jaemin’s on his way home and he said that he’ll be gone for a week or more.”

Renjun drops his spoon and Donghyuck loses his appetite.

That must have been the quietest dinner they’ve ever had. Renjun tried to get a hold of Jaemin but his phone is left unattended, Donghyuck suggested that it might be better to give him some space but it’s also important to give him support. So instead of calling, the couple chose to send him supportive text messages.

Donghyuck walks back home alone, with Jeno sleeping over at Renjun’s. He doesn’t remember his own grandmother, but death is a hard thing to go through for anyone. He wonders how Jaemin is dealing with this. But Donghyuck can’t put a face to all the thoughts in his head, he doesn’t even know how Jaemin looks like.

When he reaches home, he decides to finally fulfil his curiosity. After he’s showered and is tucked into his bed, he gets on his phone and searches for Jaemin in Renjun’s list.

He finds him easily, with his profile picture being a photo of him with Jeno and Renjun. Donghyuck smiles as he looks at the photo, it’s a photo of him on his birthday with Jeno and Renjun pretending to give him kisses on his cheeks. If he doesn’t know any better, he’ll assume that all three of them are together.

He decides to continue scrolling through the profile, thankful that his profile is public. He shares a lot of articles about cute cafes around Seoul, and interestingly, about new games coming out that month. His statuses and comments are all filled with the cringiest yet cutest emojis. It’s almost as if the language he speaks is love.

Donghyuck moves on to the next part, his photos. There are a lot of headshots, of his selfies and of him smiling at the camera with the sweetest, brightest smile. He doesn’t want to say it’s a crush, but Donghyuck can’t help smiling as he goes through his photos. There’s even a photo of him modelling ( _wow_ , Donghyuck thinks to himself) and then—something catches his attention.

It’s a photo of Jaemin staring off at the sunset, he’s wearing a short-sleeved buttoned up and has his arm raised to the direction of the sunset. It’s not the sunset, or his clothes that catches Donghyuck’s attention—but it’s the swirling tattoo that begins from Jaemin’s wrist and ends on his forearm. His tattoo spikes with warmth, and Donghyuck drops his phone to look at it.

It’s the same exact tattoo—fits together with Jaemin’s like a lock to a key.

He feels his heart hammer in his chest, the sound resonates to his ears and he knows it’s _that_ feeling Jeno and Renjun have been talking about. It’s _that_ feeling that keeps this system alive for billions of years.

It’s the feeling of coming home.

Donghyuck grabs his phone and calls Renjun, and when he answers, without missing a beat at all—he says. “Jaemin is my soulmate.”

It turns out that since seeing Donghyuck’s tattoo that one time, Renjun has pieced together that they are soulmates and have been trying to get them to meet. But it seems that the universe has been so adverse to the idea of them being together that it thwarts any attempts at their unification.

He’s back at Renjun’s place, sitting on the couch with his face in his hands. Jaemin is so close to him, and yet he never knew—Jaemin is hurting right now and yet he cannot be there to help ease his pain.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to call him, Hyuck.” Jeno suggests in response to Donghyuck’s request about giving him Jaemin’s phone number. “He’s going through something tragic at this time, I don’t think it’s best if you call him out of nowhere saying he’s your soulmate.”

“Jeno’s right.” Renjun agrees as he sits next to Donghyuck, rubbing his nape comfortingly. “Maybe you can say it to him in person when he comes back?”

Donghyuck looks up from his hands and sighs. “When’s he coming back?”

“Just before finals, he might still be around for the year-end party but we’re not sure.” Renjun says.

The feeling of being helpless isn’t eased by what his friends are saying, but the truth is, they know Jaemin more than he does and even though their souls have been fated to be together—he _is_ still a stranger to him. He has to take this step by step, and as he’s learned, the universe will find its perfect timing for them.

“Okay… can you guys promise to be there for him while I can’t?”

Renjun and Jeno nod in unison. “Of course, Donghyuck. Soulmate or not, we’d always be here for him—and for you too.”

Despite everything that’s happened, Jaemin still tries his best at his finals. He locks himself up in his room, refuses to talk even to Renjun and catches up on studying when he gets back from home. The death of his grandmother has taken a toll on him, and he still misses her everyday—there’s always a part of him that wished he could have visited home more this year, that he could’ve called her more. But Jaemin is well aware that more than anything, his grandmother wants his only grandson to succeed in life—and that he’s even more determined to do.

After the last day of finals, he finally holds a full conversation with Renjun.

He enters Renjun’s bedroom unannounced, and his roommate looks up from his iPad with wide eyes, confused.

“I’m so tired.” He complains, plopping on top of Renjun and spreading his legs and arms out like a starfish.

Renjun groans but laughs as he tries to push him off. “You don’t talk to me for days and now you’re demanding affection?”

Jaemin rolls over to one side, laughing. “Yeah, I did. You’re not the one with a dead grandma so go easy on me.”

Renjun screws his eyebrows together in worry, and noticing the shift in the mood, Jaemin elbows him and chuckles. “It’s a joke, Renjun! You’re allowed to laugh.”

Instead of laughing, Renjun punches him on the shoulder in retaliation. “Fuck you, Jaemin. I’m glad you’re back.”

“I know you are.”

“Are you staying for the year-end party or are you going back home?”

He has forgotten about the year-end party after everything that went on but he also knows that Renjun has always worked hard every year to give everyone the best party. Even if last year’s Summer-themed party wasn’t the best, the memory of it is still one for the books.

“I haven’t decided yet.” He says. “Convince me.”

Renjun puts his iPad away and smiles. “You don’t know, maybe the legend will come true for you—maybe you’ll meet the love of your life.”

Jaemin removes himself from Renjun’s bed and tosses his pillow at him. “You’re so corny.”

In the end, he decides to go to the party. He figures that he has nothing to lose anyway, and perhaps spending time with his friends socializing can give him a little pick-me-up. Renjun leaves him a mask to wear to the party, it’s black with gold and glittery linings. He finds something warm to wear, and something that fits the theme this year. He’s glad he doesn’t have to come to the venue with an unbuttoned shirt in the middle of winter.

Jaemin doesn’t regret going to the party because the moment he enters, the grand entrance with the big W letters greeting him is enough to pick him up. He likes pretty, beautiful things, and maybe being in the presence of the lights of the venue is just what he needs.

He greets friends, mingles with them and has a drink. He likes talking to people, likes engaging them in conversations even though he can’t recognize some of them due to the masks, it seems that at the moment he smiles and speaks, everyone recognizes him.

He admits, although humbly, that he’s a little bit popular—so it takes a little while before he finally gets to Renjun who is busy making sure that nothing is going to mess up again. He greets him in utter Jaemin fashion, jumping on his back with a hug and activating Renjun’s fight or flight instinct. He almost gets an elbow to the nose.

“Dude! It’s me, Jaemin!”

Renjun calms down enough for him to recognize his own roommate. “You came!” He exclaims, throwing his arms around his neck. “I can’t believe it, I thought you’d be going back home? What’s with the packing and everything?”

“Well, I will spend the holidays with family, so I’ll go home. Just figured that I can’t miss your party for the world.”

“Hey it’s not my party, the whole team worked on this. I’m so happy you came.”

“Me too. Where’s Jeno?”

Renjun looks around and gestures to the vicinity. “There, somewhere—probably with his friends from Engineering. You can find him easily, blue everything.”

“Seriously? Blue everything?” Jaemin laughs. “You’re not worried he won’t be here when the clock strikes twelve? What if he ends up with someone else.” He teases.

“Shut up.” Renjun lands a hit on his arm but with no force to it. He sees the way Renjun laughs, and that says everything about their relationship. “The universe already told us we’d be together forever, an urban legend can’t break that.”

Jaemin steps away from Renjun, raising his hands up in surrender. “Okay, geez, you didn’t have to use the soulmate card on me.”

At that, Renjun pushes him away with sheer glee. “Go away, stop bothering me and find the love of your life.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in this urban legend?”

“Go away!”

Jaemin gets another drink as he goes back to the crowd. He’s talking to strangers now, people he doesn’t know, and small talk is fun sometimes but it is not enough to distract him from the searing pain on his tattoo. It’s there yet not, it hurts yet it doesn’t. The feeling is a paradox of everything logical Jaemin has ever learned. The feeling traverses his wrist, his forearm, until it hits his ribcage and his chest.

He panics, wonders if this is a heart attack and excuses himself from the crowd of people he’s gotten interested into talking about Pokémon cards. He wades through the crowd, clutching his heart but the crowds stop as the lights turn off. The voice of the host booms through the speakers instead of the loud music, and the feeling in Jaemin’s chest intensifies.

“Everyone. The countdown to midnight is starting! In 10… 9…” The host’s voice fades out as Jaemin’s vision begins to blur, from afar, he sees Renjun busy on his clipboard with Jeno coming up to hug him from behind. He smiles to himself, half-believing in the legend despite of himself—despite of his situation.

“3… 2… 1!” The lights flicker back on and Jaemin thinks he’s going to pass out. He stumbles backwards and hits his back against someone’s chest who catches him in a swift motion.

“Careful,” the voice, high-pitched and unfamiliar says, there are warm hands on his arms, his tattoo tickles and he can finally breathe again, “can’t believe you fell for me on midnight. Guess we’re gonna have to be together forever from now on, huh?”

All around them, people are pulling their masks off, sharing delighted kisses in celebration of the tradition. Jaemin gathers himself enough to stand up and face his saviour, putting on a smile that feels more natural than ever—talking to this stranger feels like something Jaemin knows is familiar, but can’t put his tongue on it. “And to who do I have the pleasure of spending my life with?”

The stranger laughs, melodious and pretty. Jaemin wonders if he’s as pretty as his voice. His tattoo continues to tickle, and that warm feeling in his chest continues to blossom.

“This must be your lucky day.” The stranger claims as he fiddles with the strap of his mask, undoing it and tugging it off. The face that meets with him is familiar and realization hits him hard when he finally introduces himself. “Lee Donghyuck, nice to meet you.”

And everything clicks. This Donghyuck is the Tinder Donghyuck, this Donghyuck is Jeno’s roommate who he has never met before despite the so many chances of them meeting. The Lee Donghyuck that saves his ass from a bad fall. “Wow,” Jaemin says, giving Donghyuck a once over and the other crosses his arms over his chest, leaning his weight on one foot, “didn’t know Jeno’s roommate was this gorgeous?”

Donghyuck flushes but rebuts easily. “What? You’re not gonna take off your mask and just say you know me as Jeno’s roommate? Kinda creepy and awkward, man.”

Snarky. He likes it. The butterflies in his stomach are even more awake now.

Jaemin laughs and pulls his mask off, running a hand through loosely styled hair. “Na Jaemin, Renjun’s roommate.”

Donghyuck’s eyes go wide in surprise, and then he smiles—but bites it down. “If it isn’t the ever-elusive Na Jaemin. Nice to finally meet you.” Donghyuck reaches out a hand and Jaemin sees a peek of black from underneath the sleeve.

Jaemin takes it.

Everything aligns in the universe then in its perfect timing—in their perfect timing. The song playing is slow, and the lights are dim. Jaemin wants to take the leap. “I’m sorry,” he begins, not letting go of Donghyuck’s hand and instead pulls him closer with his, “but are you feeling what I’m feeling?”

“You have to be clearer than that.” Donghyuck teases and twirls Jaemin through the hands that connect them.

Jaemin has always heard stories about meeting your soulmate, how you don’t need to see their tattoo to confirm it—you just have to feel it. It’s always been such an abstract concept to him, something that seems so faraway and out of reach but now he holds it close to him at an arm’s length away. He almost doesn’t want to believe it.

“You’re annoying.” He refutes. “Do you have to make me say it?”

Donghyuck jives with the music, takes Jaemin’s other hand in his and sways him along, the teasing smile never leaving his pretty face. Jaemin wants to kiss it away. “Maybe.”

Jaemin braves it, grasps Donghyuck’s waist with his other hand and slow dances with him through the song. They’re looking at each other eye to eye now, and Jaemin’s sure that nothing can ever compare to whatever he’s feeling right now. He inches forward, just a little, just enough to whisper to Donghyuck. “This might be weird, but I think we’re soulmates.”

Donghyuck grins at him fully, all pearly whites in display. He cannot even begin to fathom the amount of happiness and energy that’s travelling in between them, shared in the space where Donghyuck begins and Jaemin ends. “I don’t think we’re soulmates.” Donghyuck says as he twirls away from Jaemin.

Jaemin feels his heart sink to his stomach and watches with much confusion as Donghyuck rolls his sleeve up. At first, it’s unclear to him, but then he sees the swirling ink that begins on Donghyuck’s forearm and ends on his wrist. “I know we’re soulmates.”

Jaemin laughs, relieved and as if everything that has ever gone wrong in his life is all worth it now that Donghyuck is here with him. "You wound me, Donghyuck. I almost had a heart attack with that joke."

Donghyuck pulls him in again, and this time, by the collar. "It's too bad that you're stuck with me forever."

Jaemin puts his hands on Donghyuck's hips, swaying to the rhythm. "It's not too bad if I can kiss you."

Jaemin loves the easy banter between them, loves that he can joke around with Donghyuck so easily, loves that this feels too much like coming home.

“Then, kiss me.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a birthday fic for hyuck but i had a bad writers block and couldnt finish anything until i rewrote this fic's entirety and finished it in four hours hhhh
> 
> cc: [xuxikr](https://curiouscat.me/xuxikr)  
> twt: [@renduckie](https://twitter.com/renduckie)


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